Straying from the Path: Retelling Red Riding Hood
by MandiLuv
Summary: 15 years after Bella leaves Forks, Jacob is a mess. He bounces from one girl to another, drinking his sorrows away. He doesn't expect to imprint on Annie or to fight so hard to keep her from falling victim to things more dangerous than wolves off the path
1. Chapter 1: Meet You There Someday

I always loved fairytales. When I was a child, I would beg my mother to read me always one more before I fell asleep. And, ironically, my favorite was Little Red Riding Hood, who could always out smart the wolf, although I wouldn't realize why it was so funny until much later in life. Even after my mother died, I kept her old book of fairy tales and brought it everywhere with me. My father never read to me the way mom did, although mom's death really broke him emotionally. He was a good dad, but he never quite recovered. Grandma helped him through it, pushing him to take care of me and not wallow in self pity. That's why, when a teaching job opened up in La Push, Washington. I was actually happy about the move; I'd never really been close to anyone at school, so I wasn't leaving behind friends. Besides, I loved the rainy weather of the Olympic Peninsula. It suited me just fine. It had been too long since I visited last.

We were living with Grandma at her insistence, but also because I think Dad worried about her often. She was Quileute, like my mother had been, and her home was only a short walk from the beach. I looked nothing like the Quileute, I was pale and lacking russet colored skin, with golden brown hair and emerald green eyes. I looked more like my father than my mother. I stood in front of the mirror and wished I fit in more here.

"Anastasia! Anastasia Delilah Conrad!" My grandmother called up the stairs. I groaned and stomped down the stairs. My grandma was making pancakes in the kitchen, where my father already sat. I took a few onto my plate and sat down. My father was silent, he usually was, so I paid no mind.

"Are you excited for school, Annie?" My grandmother's throaty voice asked. I smiled at her and nodded. It wasn't so much excitement as nervousness, but she didn't need to know that.

"The kids at school are so nice here, you'll fit right in." She continued to chatter as she urged me to eat my pancakes. Finally, my father stood and I followed him out to our old car. I settled into the passenger seat with my backpack and was quiet as I drove to school. We were there sooner than I expected. The school was all in separate buildings, but there were only three of them, shrouded in morning fog. A lot of people were already arriving, pulling old battered cars into the small lot. I looked around as kids poured into the school. My father had already left, and I waited five minutes before I followed him. The office was clearly marked first building. I headed there first, trudging through the rain.

I entered the office and shook out my damp hair. There was a woman there, her dark hair and russet skin gleaming in the fluorescent eyes as she looked up. I met her eyes and blushed, looking down at the floor.

"I'm Anastasia Conrad." I mumbled. The woman's eyes brightened.

"Hello! I'm the vice-principle, Molly Ateara. It's nice to meet you, your father has good things to say about you." Molly chattered while digging through the papers on the desk. She finally found what she was looking for and pressed a couple pieces of paper into my hands.

"Your schedule, a map of the school, and the lunch menu." She stated as I looked over them. I nodded, looking over the map. It seemed simple enough. My first class was on the second level of this building, A.P. U.S. Government. I trudged out of the office and up the stairs along with a wave of other students. I felt like everyone was staring at me, and I dropped my eyes to the floor as I rushed to the classroom. I was the second one in the classroom, and I dropped into a seat in the middle of the class. The other girl was sitting two seats ahead of me. She turned to look at me and smiled brightly. She slid out of her seat and moved to the one next to me.

"Hi, I'm Claire Young. You're Lina Beach's granddaughter, Anastasia right?" She introduced herself, sliding gracefully into the seat next to me. She had copper colored skin and dark brown eyes and curls. She held out her hand and I took it, blushing.

"Yeah, Lina Beach is my grandmother. Call me Annie." I replied easily. There was something about Claire's warm grin that drew me in.

"I was new last year too, I live with my aunt Emily and her husband, Sam Uley. Our house isn't fare from Lina's, if you ever want to hang out. I like you, I think we should be friends." She giggled and I couldn't help but join in. She made it seem so easy.

"Why did you come to La Push?" I asked, curious. She shrugged.

"Before I moved here, the last time I visited was when I was two. My mother never brought my sister and I back, she said it was dangerous here for some reason. I think she just had a falling out with Emily. But I could never stop thinking about this place, it haunted my dreams. When I was 16, I told my mom I was moving in with Aunt Emily. There was an argument, I don't think I'm allowed to go back to her place, but I don't mind so much. I have lots of friends here and I'm happy. Oh! You need to meet Quil!" She said, easily sidetracked

"Quil?" I questioned, genuinely interested to hear more of her story.

"Yeah, he's 20, he's close to Sam. He's so gorgeous, tall, built…" She sighed wistfully and whispered quietly. "I think I'm in love with him! But he's so gentle and careful, I think he must be too shy to tell me how he feels, because I know he loves me too." I laughed at her confidence, but the classroom was feeling up. People waved and said hello to Claire, most just stared at me. I went back to looking at the desk.

"Annie! These are my friends, Lucille and Abigail. Lucy, Abby, this is Annie, Mrs. Beach's girl."

Lucy and Abby both had identical dusty gold skin, however Lucy had wavy dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. Abby's hair was straight raven colored, with bright blue streaks, and she had coal colored eyes and black glasses. They were both grinning as well.

"Nice to meet'cha." Lucy said, winking.

"Ditto Annie. We're always looking for new victims for our gossip frenzies." Abby added, and I smirked. Grams was right, I would fit in well here, just like I'd always pictured I would. The rest of the morning passed quickly. Luckily, at least one of the girls was always in my class. The school was small enough that it was possible. At lunch time, Abby dragged me to their table. The girls sat there, along with a younger boy.

"How was your first day of high school, Daniel?" Claire asked happily as we sat down. The boy looked up from under his dark hair and grinned.

"Confusing, who's the new chick?" He asked, looking me up and down. Abby smacked him.

"Annie, this is our little twerp friend, Daniel. He's a freshie. Daniel, this is Annie, and she is far too good for you." She teased. Suddenly, a phone went off. Claire's eyes sparkled and she dived into her bag. She pulled it out and grinned, flipping it open. Her eyes sparkled as she turned back to us.

"The boys are having a BBQ for us after school at Emily's. Quil and Jake are going to pick us up. Are you guys coming?" She asked. There was a mumble of assent and Claire grinned at me.

"You'll come too, Annie? Pleeeeeeeeeeeease!" She dragged out and pouted. I bit my lip, unsure, but I did need new friends, and nothing could be better than a BBQ.

"Okay, okay. I'll come, Claire. Just stop pouting!" I relented and she grinned again. The rest of lunch passed in a blur, as did the rest of the day. At the end of it, I made my way to my father's classroom. He was teaching first and second year math, Daniel probably had him for class. I slipped into the classroom and he paused, looking up at me, smiling.

"Hi pumpkin, how was your first day? Meet anyone interesting?" He asked, arranging things on his desk.

"Nice, dad. I met a couple of people, Claire Young and her friends." I added. He nodded. "They actually invited me to a barbeque at Sam and Emily Uley's. They were going to drive me over there, they live close to Grams, apparently."

My dad's brow furrowed and he smiled. "Lina likes Sam Uley. Have fun dear, be home by nine." He said, going through papers. I kissed him on the cheek and hurried out. Claire was waiting for me at the end of the hallway.

"Are you allowed to come?" She asked, linking arms with me. I nodded and she laughed in glee.

"Abby and Lucy took Daniel home to his parents, they'll meet us there. They want to get all pretty for their boyfriends. They're dating Quil's friends, Embry and Paul. Jacob and Quil are going to take you home so you can drop off your stuff, then we're going to my place." I nodded as we stepped into the sunlight.

There was only a few cars still in the lot. The one that drew my eye was a little beat up blue mustang. The two guys standing beside it were impossibly huge, taller than anyone I'd ever seen before. The one of the right was built bigger, but the one on the left was just as muscled, only leaner. I gawked as Claire yelled out.

"Quil! Quil!" She called. The bigger one turned toward us, holding out his arms. Claire ran to him, jumping into his embrace. He caught her easily and spun her around, both of them laughing, but I wasn't paying attention to either of them.

The man beside Quil had turned from the car as well, his eyes avoiding the showy spectacle of Claire and Quil and turning to me. I gasped at the depths there, a fire that burned in the darkness. He was staring so intently at me, I was surprised I didn't catch fire. There was a hard set to his jaw, an angry jut to his lips. He ripped his eyes away from me and I blushed, looking at the ground. Quil let go of Claire and she reached for me, dragging me forward.

"Quil, Jacob, this is Anastasia Conrad. Lina Beach's granddaughter." I let my gaze flick up, being careful only to look at Quil.

"I go by Annie, but it's nice to meet you, Quil. Claire mentioned you." Claire blushed and Quil looked down indulgently.

"You weren't saying how handsome I was again, were you?" He reprimanded gently, wrapping an arm around her tiny shoulders. She glared at him playfully. I let my eyes flick to Jacob, he was staring at me again. I was beginning to feel self conscious. Claire and Quil finally noticed, and Quil elbowed Jacob.

"Sorry." He said as if snapping out of a trance. "Nice to meet you, Annie. I'm Jake Black."

"I gathered." I replied flippantly. He grinned, and I saw some of the anger fade from his eyes.

"Feisty, huh?" Quil remarked as he helped Claire into the backseat. "Good, you'll fit right in here. Us La Push guys love our girls with attitude."

I blushed again and slid in next to Claire. Quil jumped in the front seat and Jacob slid gracefully into the passenger seat. Claire leaned forward, talking in Quil's ear as he drove. Jacob and I were silent, but I kept on glancing at him, wondering why he had been staring so hard at me. We pulled up into my driveway and I jumped out of the car and ran into the house, needing the few seconds to think.

What was so captivating about Jacob Black?


	2. Chapter 2: Gravity Check

**(AN) Thanks for the great reception! Hope you like this part just as much, and I hope I laid out enough background information for you. I'm going to alternate POV, Annie, Jake, Annie, Jake…etc. Also, Leah imprinted in this story, although I haven't spelled out to whom. See if you can guess! Please read and review! Also, the title here is an inside joke with me and my friend who will be named here as Ninja Jon. Ninja Jon tends to get drunk and fall down a lot, but he claims he's always just "Doing a gravity check, making sure it still works." So, this chapter is dedicated to Ninja Jon! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, promise.**

**Chapter 2: Gravity Check**

Nothing is more worthless than living when you've given up hope that someday, something might give your life meaning. I'd given up on that a long time ago, and I existed in some sort of odd in between place, a place where I lived and functioned, but I didn't feel. I'd stopped feeling the second Bella's heart stopped beating. I'd been in Canada when she had gotten married, then in Vermont when they'd left for Alaska. I hadn't had any knowledge of when exactly her heart had stopped, but I knew her pain had been my own. The only reason I came back was for Quil, poor idiot Quil.

Emily and Quil had told Claire's mom and dad what we were, and about Quil imprinting on her. Despite the reassurances that it was nothing like pedophilia and werewolves really weren't dangerous at all, they had freaked out and dragged Claire somewhere far away, they wouldn't even tell Emily where they had gone. To say Quil was depressed was an understatement, and he was my wingman, I couldn't just let him flounder.

So, I came back for the pack, not that I felt any better. I tried to put on a charade for anyone and do the normal things guys my age did. I dated, mostly girls with dark hair and heart shaped faces, but I never thought of them but as passing distractions. None of them were Bella. That's when I started drinking, and the only thing that was keeping me sane was the pack. At least Quil was company to my misery, until Claire came back. Embry and Paul both imprinted on a pair of ten year olds after a couple of years, both who had lived in La Push all their lives, but had somehow managed to keep out of their line of sight. That was an impressive achievement for a town as small as La Push. Jared and Kim got married and had one son, Daniel had just turned 14, who looked so much like his father it hurt. Emily and Sam finally got married and had three kids, Casey, Roxanne, and Jude, Casey, the oldest, was 12, Roxy was 9, and Jude was 7. And I still felt more alone than ever before.

Quil sensed me sinking further into depression, and insisted on dragging me almost everywhere. I had learned not to fight him too much and to just go with it. Besides, it was nice to hang out with the guys and their girls, to live vicariously, and imagine Bella had chosen me instead.

"We're going to have a first day of school barbeque for the girls and Daniel." Quil announced, dragging me up from the sofa. I'd moved into a small house with him and Embry.

"So, basically, it's a pack barbeque." I insisted as he grinned, dangling his car keys.

"Yeah, I told Claire we'd go pick her up. C'mon man." He ducked out the door and I followed with a groan, jumping into his mustang. The way Quil drove we were at the school before I could really shake off the depression.

"Hey man, I know it's hard for you, but do you think you're ever going to get over her?" He asked as we pulled into the school parking lot just as kids began to funnel out.

"I'm trying Quil. I loved her, I still love her, and a part of me really fucking hates it." I cursed Bella once more in my mind, then instantly felt bad for it. I was so messed up, I didn't understand why anyone ever still spoke to me.

"Quil! Quil!" Quil turned from me to catch Claire in a fond embrace. He hadn't admitted how he felt yet, or told her what he was, but I could see it was coming soon. Their affectionate display made a part of me ache, and I turned back to the school. Goddamn Quil for dragging me out of the house. And then I saw her, and that was the last rational, lucid thought I had.

It was like an earthquake, everything was falling apart. I could feel layers of sadness and hurt falling from my shoulders as I took in everything about her. Her hair was brown, with natural golden highlights that glittered in the sun. I'd often heard skin described as alabaster, but I had never seen someone with alabaster skin before her. Her mouth was full and curved into a beautiful small smile as she watched Quil and Claire. When she turned her attention to me, I could finally see her eyes. They took my breath away, green like soft new grass, or like shining emeralds. I ached now, but it was different, I ached for her. My mind couldn't stop from wondering what we'd be like together.

And then I remembered Bella and my mouth tightened, my eyes hardened. I couldn't believe I was so willing to turn my back on her for this…this slip of a girl. I was angry, I was angry at Bella, angry at her, and angry at myself for even daring to think anything horrible about the angel that had just appeared to me. I couldn't even bare to think about her anymore, and I ripped my eyes away from her painfully to look at the ground, but not before I saw the sweet blush spread across her skin.

"Quil, Jacob, this is Anastasia Conrad. Lina Beach's granddaughter." Lina Beach, the old woman that was just a bit older than Billy, was her grandmother? That meant she was staying right across the trees from Emily and Sam. When my eyes flicked back up, I saw that Claire had dragged her closer and she was looking only at Quil. Jealousy flared up before I could tell myself I was being completely ridiculous. I did not even know this girl, let alone love her.

"I go by Annie, but it's nice to meet you, Quil. Claire mentioned you." Her voice was soft, but happy, with an edge that promised much more. It reminded me of old movies with Marilyn Monroe. Quil made some comment that made Claire blush, but Annie's eyes had returned to mine, and my heart was having trouble staying in my chest. She shifted uncomfortably, and Quil suddenly elbowed me hard in the ribs, with a mumbled whisper that I knew the girls couldn't hear.

"You're staring, you'll scare her." He rushed to get out. I caught the words and I managed to snap out of it.

"Sorry." I mumbled. She had no idea how sorry I was about this whole mess. "Nice to meet you Annie. I'm Jake Black."

"I gathered." She replied easily, smirking. Had Claire already introduced me? I grinned, abashed and I felt the anger fade. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…

I couldn't believe I was even thinking this. It was not okay. I was not okay with this. You're too late, little girl, I thought as we climbed into the car. I already pledged my heart to someone else, and I won't belong to you.

We drove to the house, a sunny little cottage with flowers growing everywhere. Anne got out of the car so quickly, I tensed a little at the thought of her falling and hurting herself, but she didn't. She was graceful, too graceful. Claire sat in the backseat, squirming as Quil related something funny Paul had done the prior night, but eventually, she stood.

"She's taking too long, be right back." She said, kissing Quil's cheek as she jumped out of the car and ran toward the house. Suddenly, I kinda wished she hadn't left. Quil had definitely noticed something was up.

"Did that girl bite you or something when I wasn't looking?" Quil asked with a grin, looking at me with a gleam in his eye that assured me he knew exactly what was wrong with me. I didn't say anything, glaring at the dashboard.

"So did gravity move or…?" He questioned, still grinning. I snorted.

"Gravity moved alright. Gravity moved and spun and shook, it was like being on a broken rollercoaster." I answered. Quil laughed.

"I'm happy for you, man. Anastasia Black sounds kinda good to me." He leaned back, craning to look at the house.

"Bella Black still sounds better." I answered stubbornly, Quil swore and I heard something metal crush. I looked over and saw the steering wheel bent in an awful way. He cursed at himself before turning to me.

"Jacob, you're fucking nuts. Seriously, what the fuck are you thinking?" I opened my mouth to reply, but he kept going. "Bella doesn't exist anymore, for first off, she married that leech Cullen, and then she decided to become a leech too, remember? Why do you think she hasn't been back to visit Charlie, man? She's a bloodsucking twit! And she choose him over you! And I understand it hurt, but you need to get a fucking grip."

"I promised her that I'd never give up on her. And I won't." I responded.

"Is there something wrong with Annie? I mean, she's pretty enough, I'd say she's almost as pretty as Claire. And she smells good enough, kinda minty. And she is right here, steps away from Emily and Sam's, where we spend most of our time! It's like fate or destiny!"

"Anywhere she lived she'd be close to Sam's. It's La Push for God's sake." I bit back.

"Fine, try and fight it. It'll do you as much good as fighting gravity, but you go right ahead. Just wait till Sam and Leah hear, they're going to be so pissed at you. And I swear to God, if this girl gets close to Claire, and you pushing her away hurts Clair too, I will rip you limb from limb and dance on your grave." I looked up at Quil and I could see the threat wasn't without substance. I nodded coldly and went back to staring at the house.

They came out after a few more minutes, Annie had changed into a yellow sweater that hugged her curvy frame and dark, worn and ripped blue jeans. Her hair was tied back in a neat yellow ribbon. The breath rushed out of my lungs before I could stop it, and I heard Quil mumbling in the background.

"Yeah, just keep fighting it." He murmured, turning the car back on. Claire and Annie slid into the backseat, giggling and talking.

"I'm sorry it took so long, my grandmother insisted on me changing into something warmer, and then Claire came up and declared what I put on not appropriate." She rolled her eyes. Claire grinned in a self-satisfied way.

"But she looks hot, doesn't she?" Claire asked.

"Almost as beautiful as you Claire, but don't feel bad Annie." Quil teased. She smiled warmly in response as we drove down the road and past the woods, emerging in front of Sam and Emily's home.

"Wow, no kidding about being right next door." She remarked as we pulled in.

"Yeah, see that path?" I pointed, unable to keep quiet anymore. "That leads right from here, through the woods, and to Lina Beach's backyard." She looked over, absorbing the path.

"Yeah, you can visit anytime you want. Emily and Sam love company." Claire offered as Quil opened her door. I opened and Annie's and watched her as she glided out and across the gravel driveway. Claire linked arms with her, dragging her up the steps. Quil and I followed quickly.

"Uncle Sam! Aunt Emily!" I could hear Claire calling as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Annie, this is my aunt Emily and my uncle Sam. Sam, Emily, this is Lina Beach's granddaughter Annie." I stood in the doorway and watched as she took in Sam and Emily. Sam had stopped phasing, about five years after the Cullen's had left. Jared followed his lead about a year later. Sam had begun to age, along with Emily, slowly and gracefully. Emily's scars had faded a little with time, although they still showed. I saw Annie's eyes take it in, and alarm cross her expression for a minute before she turned to Sam.

"It's nice to meet you, Annie. Lina Beach is such a sweet woman, she walks over here sometimes with cookies for Sam." Emily said with a smile, which Annie gladly returned.

"I still remember your mother, I met her when I was younger. You remind me of her. I'm really sorry about what happened." Sam added, looking nervous. Annie gracefully inclined her head.

"It's okay. Sometimes bad things happen." She answered softly, the ache present in her sweet voice. She squeezed Claire's arm, who had been looking at her with obvious sympathy.

"You saw my room and got to dress me up, I think I should repay the favor." Claire smiled brightly and led her up to her room, chattering animatedly. When they were safely up the stairs, I turned to Sam curiously.

"What happened to her mother?" I asked. "I never heard anything."

"Lina doesn't like to talk about it." Emily said softly. "Lina's daughter, Violet, was two years ahead of Sam and Leah in school. When I came up to visit Leah, before Sam, Violet would talk to us sometimes. She was so pretty, so outgoing. She went to school in Seattle, full scholarship for journalism, and then she met a man. She never came back to La Push except to visit and bring her daughter for a day or two. When Annie was ten, Violet didn't come home from work one day. They found her car on the side of the road, all of her stuff still in it, and no trace of Violet. They never found her and they think it was foul play. There was some blood on the road, the DNA matched part of Annie's. She was declared dead officially about a year later. Annie stopped coming to visit after that, Lina went to them." She finished sadly. My heart ached for her, losing her mother so young just like I had. I wanted to reach for her, soothe the ache that only dulled after time. It seemed so tragic, to lose someone in such a abrupt way.

"So, are you going to tell him, Jake, or should I?" Quil threatened. Sam may not be the alpha anymore, but I still listened to him, as did all the guys. I cringed, shaking my head.

"It's really nobody else's business but mine." I replied with a snap. Quil growled, looking at Sam.

"What is it?" He asked, his eyes curious. I swore under my breath and looked up the stairs. If I concentrated, I could hear the girls talking about a dress of Claire's. I looked back down and across the table to Sam.

"He imprinted. On Annie." Quil explained. Emily gasped, delighted and Sam smiled.

"Congrats. She seems like she'll fit right in." Sam offered. I scowled, his expression changed.

"You're…you can't be serious. After everything Leah, Emily, and I went through, you're going to try to fight it? For what, a leech?" Sam asked, fury coming out. I shook.

"Stop calling her that." I whispered fiercely. Sam growled.

"Get a hold of yourself then and take something that's made for you." He stood, and I turned on my heel, running for the door. I didn't see her coming down the steps, Claire behind her, but just as she stepped off, I ran into her, knocking her over. I stopped, looking down at her, worried I'd broken something, but she just looked annoyed.

"Excuse you, where's the fire?" She asked sarcastically. I glared at her as I continued running, out the door and into the woods.


	3. Chapter 3: The Rose

I was fuming. I'd bruised myself on the stairs, I was sure. Claire leaned over me, a worried crease in my brow. I lifted myself up, biting my lip and glaring out the door.

"What is wrong with him? Is he bipolar or something?" I asked, brushing off my sweater. Quil appeared in the kitchen doorway, also glaring at the front door.

"Or something is a good way to put it. Are you okay Annie?" He asked, eyeing me critically. I nodded, flushing red in embarrassment and anger.

"I'm fine." I replied, turning to Claire. She was flushing as well, her dark skin turning even darker. Quil nodded and ducked back inside the kitchen, shaking his head. I could hear his low voice in the kitchen, but I couldn't make out the words. Outside, I heard a wolf howl.

"I've never seen him act like that. He's always been nice to me." Claire offered, brushing my hair back. "He must be stressed out about something. The guys are usually all so gentle." She added, reassuringly, as if worried I might now be frightened of them. A wolf howled again. I tensed.

"Aren't you worried the wolves are so close?" I wondered, changing the subject. I didn't want to dwell on Jacob anymore. The kitchen suddenly got quiet, but Claire only laughed.

"Yeah, when I first moved here, but my uncle Sam and Quil say they're harmless. They're actually the protectors of our tribe, of us." She said, nudging me the rest of the way down the stairs. I nodded, reassured. I was part of this tribe, after all, even if I didn't look quite like I fit in.

When I reentered the kitchen, it felt like it had shrunk. The back door was open, and a girl a little older than me was standing in the doorway, involved in a low conversation with Sam and Emily. Her copper colored skin glowed in the light, and her raven hair blew in the wind. She was undeniably beautiful, and Claire squealed in delight when she saw her.

"Leah!" Claire shouted, launching herself at the woman. Leah laughed softly, squeezing Claire gently.

"Hello Claire-Bear. You must be Annie, I'm Leah Clearwater." She introduced, offering me her hand. I took it and gasped, she was burning hot. I pulled away liked I'd been burned, and her eyes darkened in confusion.

"You're burning up!" I explained. "Are you sick?" Leah looked at me for a moment, and then collapsed into laughter again.

"No, I feel fine. I must be warm from helping to start the fire. Embry and Paul could never get it done by themselves." I looked out the door behind her. Sure enough, there was a big fire burning, with two tall men lounging around beside it. They looked almost exactly like Jacob and Quil, they all could have been brothers.

"Oh. Okay." I mumbled, embarrassed. Emily grinned at me, just as three sets of footsteps tramped down the stairs. Two little girls and a boy entered the kitchen, weaving around comfortably. They all glanced at me curiously, Claire whispered in my ear.

"That's Casey, Roxy, and Jude. They're Emily's kids." I nodded, I could see Emily in the girls now, with their flowing black hair. Even the boy kind of looked like his mother, although he tried to imitate the swagger of all the men.

Claire dragged me out of the kitchen, out the back door. Quil followed us, much like a puppy. Embry and Paul were joking about who could run faster. I rolled my eyes, it was such an utterly boyish topic. Claire introduced me as we fell down around the fire. Emily brought out hot dogs, and we had already begun roasting them when Abby, Lucy, and Daniel arrived. They were followed by an older couple, obviously Daniel's parents. They both looked young, for parents, but the way they looked at each other and Daniel left no doubt to how happy they were as a family.

"Where's Leah?" Daniel asked immediately, grinning brightly at us. Claire pointed to the house and he took off, leaving his parents looking amused.

"This is Jared and Kim, Daniel's parents. And…looks like Colin, Brady, and Seth just got here." She said, craning her neck around Kim and Jared to look at the rest.

"Everyone's here!" Quil declared. One of the guys that had arrived after Kim and Jared looked around, tilting his head.

"Where's Jacob?" He asked. Quil bit his lip, looking down at me and Claire, and back up at the other guy.

"Eh, he took my shift for patrol tonight, I guess. I think he wanted some time alone, I'll tell you about it later." He said uncomfortably, then his eyes landed on Claire and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey everyone!" Abby called. She was curled up in the man's lap that Claire had introduced as Paul. Lucy was identically curled up in Embry's lap. Everyone quieted down, and we all turned to look at her.

"I just wanted to take a moment to introduce the new girl." Abby said with regal authority. Paul chuckled, as did Lucy.

"Hi everyone." I interrupted, trying hard to ignore the blood rushing in my cheeks. "I'm Annie Conrad." Everyone cheered after I introduced myself, going around and saying their names. There were so many of them, and they all looked so similar, I was certain that I was never going to get them right.

After that, the evening quieted down. The large group of people acted like a family, and much to my surprise, I seemed to fit right in. The defining moment came when Lucy was trying to convince Embry to take her to a musical in Seattle. Embry obviously didn't want to go.

"Please, I have to write a report on a musical performance for school. Embry..." She pleaded. Embry sighed, about to give in.

"You have your own little orphan Annie right here, ask her to give you a show." Colin stated, before anyone else could say anything. Everyone was wide eyed and silent, and I could tell Colin hadn't really thought about what he was about to say before he did it. His skin grew dark, and he began to murmer something.

"Jerk move, Colin." The other one, Brady I think, commented.

"I'm so sorry, Annie, I just…" I let my lip pout out and tremble, lowering my eyes to the ground. I heard someone hiss and hit Colin's shoulder. He moved closer to me, still trying to apologize. Just when he was in my reach, kneeling down beside me, I reached up and smacked the side of his head, looking up with a grin. The shock on his face only made it funnier.

"I'm only half an orphan." I retorted, grinning wider. Colin blinked, then began to laugh. Everyone joined in.

"Shouldn't have let your guard down, Colin." Seth added, chuckling. I shook my head, as they continued to wolf down their food. I lost track of how many hot dogs Quil ate, I even wondered how Leah kept it all down, but she was still nibbling on a hot dog as she messed up Daniel's hair fondly. Quil's arm was thrown around Claire, and the kids danced around us, playing tag in the night.

"I should get going." I said as I stood up, stretching.

"Do you want a ride home?" Quil asked, looking around Claire. I shook my head, pointing to the path.

"That goes right to my house, right?" I asked. Sam nodded.

"Yes, but it's dark, we don't mind…" I shook my head stubbornly.

"No. I'll be fine. See you tomorrow, Claire, Lucy, Abby, and Daniel."

"Night." Everyone chorused as I stepped out of the ring of fire, over to the dark path. I wished suddenly I had grabbed a flashlight or something. I wasn't used to not having at least a sliver of moon to guide me, it was all blocked out by clouds. It was so dark, I could barely make out the path. I suddenly wished I had let Quil drive me home, or at least grabbed someone to walk with me. By the time I thought about turning back, I wasn't sure I'd be able to find the way. I paused, disoriented.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to walk alone at night." Came a soft, husky voice behind me. I nearly screamed, turning quickly, tripping on a root of some kind in the path. Suddenly, warm hands wrapped around my waist, and I heard a familiar chuckled.

"Calm down, Annie. It's just me." I finally placed the voice. Jacob Black was on the path with me. I sighed in relief, relaxing. Then, my temper seized me.

"What in the world are you doing running around in the dark, just waiting to scare people?" I bit back, trying to squirm out of his grip. He sighed dramatically as he let me go.

"I was not trying to scare you. I wasn't even going to talk to you, but you looked a little lost." He admitted. "I was just on my way back to Emily and Sam's." I shrugged, although he probably couldn't see the gesture.

"Okay then. Go." I said dismissively, turning on my heel. He chucked again, grabbing my wrist.

"That's going to take you right into a tree. You can't see anything can you?" He questioned, amused. I pouted.

"How can you see anything? It's pitch dark out here!" I complained.

"I'm superhuman. And I eat my vegetables." He responded lightly, wrapping his hand around me. I blushed, wondering if her could see it in the dark.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. And knocking you over, and then running out on you." He finished quickly. I noticed his hand was as burning hot as Leah's, but it was comforting in the cold, dark night.

"S'okay. I get that reaction a lot." I said cheerfully. He laughed darkly.

"Guys act all weird around you? Shouldn't be surprised, you're kinda beautiful." He seemed to be thinking more to himself. I grinned despite myself.

"Well, kinda thank you. Anyway…I hate to have to do this, but can you walk me home? I don't want to get hopelessly lost." I asked hesitantly. He still hadn't dropped my hand. He tugged me around, hopefully facing the right direction, and we began to walk in silence.

"So why are you acting all weird? Quil said you took patrol tonight or something, so you could have time to think? What's patrol?" He tensed beside me.

"Eh. Me and the guys are kinda like…community watch. We don't have a whole lot of crime in La Push, but we still like to patrol around and make sure nobody is up to no good." He explained. I nodded.

"Oh. That makes sense." I commented.

"Yeah. I enjoy it though. Gives me time to think." He said softly. "I've been having a rough time of it lately. Kind of miss not having company to my misery. Quil's been so much better since Claire…" He trailed off. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but wasn't sure if he should.

"Claire loves him. She thinks he loves her too." I declared. He laughed.

"Yeah, they're pretty good together." He added. He sounded almost bitter about it.

"Let me guess, some girl broke your heart." He stopped. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me, but I had a feeling he was.

"How'd you guess?" He asked.

"The way you talk about Claire and Quil. You sound kind of bitter. Is that why you don't like me?" I asked. "Do I look like her or something?"

"What? No, I don't…I like you just fine. You don't look anything like her. It's just…complicated." He finished resentfully.

"Okay." I wasn't going to push him for the rest of the story. I smiled up at him. "I just don't want it to be awkward."

"It won't be. I'll make it work, promise." He squeezed my hand just as the trees gave way to my grandma's little house. I sighed happily as I took in the shuttered windows of my home.

"Oh my god Jacob, thanks so much. Next time I'll take a flashlight or something." I promised.

"How about next time you just let someone take you home or walk you back?" He asked lightly. I could see his face dimly in the light from the porch. His eyes were looking intensely in mine. I was finding it hard to breathe.

"Annie…" He started. I leaned forward anxiously, but he changed his mind about whatever he was going to say, instead smiling impishly.

"Try not to go off this path, okay? Sometimes there are things in the woods that are pretty scary." He warned. I nodded, thinking to the wolves. I probably didn't want to meet them alone at night.

"I'll try. Night Jake. Thanks again." I went to pull away, but his hand was still wrapped around mine. He laughed awkwardly as he let go, running his hand through his hair.

"Night Annie. Sleep tight." He said as I began to walk away. He watched me until I opened the door. My dad was at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper, my grandmother was at the counter, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"How was Sam's?" My grandmother asked, smiling over at me.

"It was wonderful, I had a lot of fun. Lucy, Abby, and Claire are really great." I added.

"Good to see you're making friends." My dad said with a smile. I beamed back at him.

"Do you want a cup of tea, Anne?" My grandmother asked me. I shook my head.

"No thanks Grams. I'm pretty bushed, I'm just going to shower and go to bed." I replied, yawning as I made my way up the stairs, to my sunny room. I showered quickly, and didn't even bother putting away the discarded outfit Claire had deemed unsuitable. I threw it on a chair and went to pull down my covers. I froze as I saw something red lying on my pillow. I picked it up cautiously, examining the delicate rose. Someone had gotten into my bedroom while I had been in the shower, because I was certain it hadn't been there before. I left it on the bed as I made my way downstairs.

"Hey Grams. Did anyone come over while I was in the shower?" I asked. Both my grandmother and my father turned to look at me, puzzled.

"No honey. Why?" I bit my lip, confused, as I thought of a lie.

"I just remembered I forgot my hair clip at Claire's. I thought she might walk over and bring it back, but it's probably too late. I'll get it tomorrow." I said. I went to the cupboard and pulled out a glass, filling it with water. "Goodnight!"

They both murmured goodnight as I walked back up the stairs. I set the rose in the glass as I looked around the room. Nothing else seemed out of place. My eyes landed on the window. It was open just a bit, which I didn't remember leaving open. I examined it, noticing a tuff of reddish brown hair caught on the side of it. It didn't look human, more like animal fur. I rolled my eyes, slamming the window closed. Then I crawled into bed, trying not to worry about the fact that I might have a stalker.


End file.
